Jon Fitch (24-4-1 MMA, 14-2-1 UFC) still dreams of being a UFC champion, but he doesn’t think he’ll have a shot this year.

The 34-year-old American Kickboxing Academy product believes Georges St-Pierre will down Nick Diaz in their UFC 158 meeting and that Strikeforce title holder Nate Marquardt will likely earn the next shot at “GSP.”

In other words, if Fitch needs a shake-up at the top to earn a second crack at the welterweight title, he doesn’t think it’s going to happen in 2013.

“I think a shake-up could have happened if Johny Hendricks would have gotten the title shot,” Fitch told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “I think right now it looks like ‘GSP’ will probably defeat Diaz. The way it looks, I think there’s a strong possibility the fight after that will probably be Marquardt just because it’s champion vs. champion.”

Fitch, of course, has long been considered one of the top welterweights in the world. In 2008, an eight-fight octagon win streak earned him a shot at St-Pierre’s belt, but Fitch wound up losing the UFC 87 headliner by unanimous-decision.

Fitch rebounded with a five-fight win streak but has hit a few roadblocks in recent times with a 1-1-1 mark over his most recent three fights. Those results have forced Fitch down a few notches in the 170-pound rankings, but his impressive UFC 153 win over Brazilian Erick Silva have left some wondering if perhaps the 17-time UFC veteran should again be considered as one of the division’s elite fighters.

The first few months of 2013 present an interesting time for the UFC’s welterweights, as no less than six of the division’s best fighters, including St-Pierre and Diaz, square off at March’s UFC 158 event. Fitch also has his next assignment: Demian Maia (17-4 MMA, 11-4 UFC) at February’s UFC 156 event. Depending on how things shake out, a victory could prove very meaningful for Fitch. However, he insists he’s not allowing himself to consider the possibilities.

“I think one of the mistakes I made in the past was thinking about what this next fight is going to bring me rather than just focusing on the fight, itself,” Fitch admitted. “Throw all of my attention, all my energy, into one fight at a time and make sure I get the most out of that one fight. I think that showed. When I do that, that’s what happened in the last fight. If I continue that process, it’s going to be a lot more great fights like that.”

And since he’s convinced the UFC’s welterweight title is all but locked up through the end of the year, it’s what happened in his last fight that provides his current motivation. Fitch turned in a gutsy, impressive effort against the flashy Silva, and he said the potential for more crowd-pleasing efforts is providing all the motivation he needs to grind away at the gym.

“Fight by fight,” Fitch said. “Each fight is it’s own fight.

“This is a big thing. I need the money. I need the fight. I need to perform, and I love what I do. The motivation is that in itself.”

UFC officials have yet to announce what comes next for St-Pierre should he get past Diaz, which isn’t a given. Marquardt is a possibility, but he currently has a fight with Tarec Saffiedine schedule for Jan. 12 at Strikeforce’s final event. With all of the moving parts, there is a slight chance that Fitch could find himself in a favorable position come year’s end, but he accepts that now is not his time. in fact, as far as he’s concerned, the welterweight titile schedule has already been written.

“I’m not even going to think about taking any kind of top-seed-type stuff for the whole 2013,” Fitch said. “I think that’s already booked, honestly.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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